Bit more work done to the coaster - it's now got a name: 'Calon Lan' sailing out of Aberaeron.
Not completed yet, and an awful lot wrong with it from the purists point of view - but what the hell - it's my boat, and I'll build it how I want it! (thats my excuse...)
Wether it will survive young poking fingers at the Woolen Mill remains to be seen.

(The water has been Photoshopped in, by the way, for aesthetic reasons... !)

Round to Colins last night, being Tuesday. Just Col, Chas and myself, as Patrick is still lost in the wilds North of the border  (in a 40 year old MG without a roof...) Don't know whats worse, being in a sports car without a roof or being in Scotland in the middle of September.

Anyway, we managed without him, but do miss him!

Colin demonstrated two new 009 locos that he has built - one already painted, and the other one is work in progress. (we seem to have an awful lot of W-I-P...)

Work in progress!!

 

Started construction this week on a small freighter to transport the slate from St Dogmaels quay. Based very loosely on the Clyde Puffer style, but a bit larger. Riveted steel hull - I guess it could have been built at Pembroke Dock in the late 19th century?

Still got a lot more to do to it - waiting for stanchions to arrive (I had to buy...) before any railings can go on. Other stuff I'm making up as I go along. Mast and derrick yet to be fitted (old paint brush handles) and various nautical 'things'.

Here it is alongside the quay:

  

Annie kindly volunteered to paint the backscenes - St Dogs is the first one to be done, so here is a shot of the board with buildings 'plonked' and all the motive power doing various things...

 

 

Mornin' all!
Constructive night last night - Colin and Charles came round with the new turntable for St Dogmaels, as I had butchered the previous one in my vain attempts to get it to work. Thankfully Colin forgave me, so I steered clear last night and left the fitting to he and Charles.
Success crowned their efforts:

We put two of the boards together and had a practise run - everything worked just as it should!

Some additions to St Dogmaels - the Abbey Hotel behind the station, and a coaling platform by the engine shed. Fencing and undergrowth added to the hillside, and a section cut away for the road to disappear around...

Charles has been busy constructing a mechanism to operate the crane that sits in Cardigan goods yard. Using a miniature electric motor and gear box, and turning aluminium on his lathe he came up with this masterpiece:

To be mounted under Cardigan layout board, belt drive will turn the large pulley wheel, with the crane above. The on-off-on sprung switch will allow momentary movement in either direction.
More pictures when it is fitted!

Saturday September 12 - little bit more landscaping done to TGR today. Some fencing added, and foliage and ground cover.

The 16:50 from Cilgerran passes the quarry as the last load for the day pulls out with the workers who have finished for the day...

A short while later the passenger train approaches St Dogmaels, with the Harbour Master hoping the tide will flood before it becomes too dark for the next cargo smack to berth.

Colins turn to 'top' the blog!

Just a couple of photos to keep you abreast of happenings on the TGR.
The new loco is back from the paint shop, and is seen here in the siding that backs on to the lane where Mr Rees's cottage and work shop are situated:

'Rosi' is yet to be painted in the company's livery, but has been put into service and seen here outside the goods depot after unloading mixed goods from Cilgerran: